RE: When and what to plant?
Forget adding ryegrass to any perennial plot. It's too hard to get rid of, if it has a chance to seed-out in the spring. There are easier to control annuals like wheat, rye or oats that can be added as a cover crop while the clover establishes. Plant them at about 1/3 of the normal seeding rate to give your clover room to establish and them mow the annual in the spring before it forms seed heads.
My suggestion for planting time would be fall in your area. Looking at the various websites with planting info, you can plant in Feb. but it may not have time to mature before it get hot and dry which can be tough on an immature planting.
I likeyour idea of perennial clover. I have clover, alfalfa and a couple other perennials. My choice if your soil has a pH of 6.3 or higher and it holds moisture is clover. I'm a little north of you but my best success is with the Imperal clover. It rocks. My field is 3 years old and still sucking in deer. Two good 10 pointers this year off the same field.
There are quite a few options out there but that's the best field I've had in over 20 years.
Get a soil test ASAP and add the lime required to get the pH in line and you should be well satisfied.
Buster